National Committee
Aziz Valliani, Chairman
Mr. Aziz Valliani has served as Chairman of the Foundation's National Committee since 2006. He is currently Founder, Chairman and CEO of enTrust & Title. Mr. Valliani is an entrepreneur who brings years of experience in senior positions at a number of different companies, including President and CEO of Bellflower Escrow Company, Crossvue, Inc., and @POS.com, Inc. He was Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Wyse Technology, and prior to that worked at ACER America and Intel Corp. He has served extensively within the Ismaili community, including as Vice President of the National Council and Chairman of Aga Khan Education Board U.S.A. Mr. Valliani received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Pratt Institute in New York.
Mohammad Ashraf Ramji, Vice Chairman
Mr. Mohammad Ashraf Ramji is an attorney with extensive volunteer service within the Ismaili community. He has served as a Chair and Member of National Council Arbitration Board U.S.A. and a Chair of Southwest Regional Council Arbitration Board. He also served on the Social Welfare Board and as Honorary Secretary of the Local Council for Southwestern U.S. and on the Tariqah Board for Midwestern U.S. Mr. Ramji received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master's of Science degree from Iowa State University, a JD from South Texas College of Law, and a Master's of Law from the University of Houston.
Mahmood Eboo, Member
Dr. Mahmood Eboo, in his role as President of the Ismaili National Council USA, serves on the Foundation's National Committee. President Eboo has been a member of the institutional leadership of the Ismaili community for over 20 years. Born in Kenya and educated at Harrow School in England, Dr. Eboo obtained a Bachelor's degree of Science in Materials Technology and subsequently a Ph.D. in Laser Engineering from Imperial College, London University. He moved from England to the United States in 1983 where he co-founded Quantum Laser, a company specializing in the manufacture, repair and refurbishment of gas turbine airfoils for the aviation and power generation industries. He sold the company to Honeywell in 2001 and is presently a consultant in the field.
Zamila Karimi, Member
Ms. Zamila Karimi has been a member of the National Committeesince 2000. An architect by profession, Ms. Karimi has been active in a variety of volunteer activities. These have ranged from initiating and implementing youth camps to the design and construction of cultural and religious centers. Ms. Karimi holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, and has participated in Islamic art and architecture seminars at Harvard, MIT, and Emory Universities. She received a Master’s degree in Culture and Design at the University of Georgia and is teaching at the university.
Sultana Mangalji, Member
Ms. Sultana Mangalji joins the National Committee after many years of voluntary service in senior positions within and outside of the Ismaili community. Ms. Mangalji has served with the Tariqah and Religious Education Board, Aga Khan Education Board and Aga Khan University. In addition, she has served as a Board Member on the Read Commission, UNICEF, Teach for America, and the Houston Symphony. Ms. Mangalji holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of British Columbia and an Executive Master's of Business Administration from Rice University.
Eboo Patel, Member
Dr. Eboo Patel was named by US News & World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders of 2009. Eboo Patel is the founder and Executive Director of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), a Chicago-based institution building the global interfaith youth movement. He is a member of President Obama’s Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Author of the award-winning book Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation, Eboo is also a regular contributor to the Washington Post, National Public Radio and CNN. He holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship.
Alnoor Shivji, Member
Mr. Alnoor Shivji is currently a General Partner at Global Communications Partners. Mr. Shivji is a co-founder of WaferGen and has served as its Chief Executive Officer since April 1, 2003, and as Chairman of the Board since October 2002. Between December 2003 and July 2006, he was the Investment Director at VPSA, Inc. in Paris, France, and between October 2001 and February 2002, he was the President and CEO of Redwave Networks, Inc. From April 2001 to August 2001, Mr. Shivji was President of Metro Switching Division of Ciena Corp. Between August 1998 and March 2001, he was the Founder, President and CEO of Cyras Systems. He co-founded Fiberlane Communications, Inc. and was President of Fiberlane Communications (Canada), Inc. from December 1996 to April 1998.
Mr. Shivji also co-founded Osiware, an enterprise software company sold to Infonet Services Corporation, which was later bought by BT Group plc. Currently, he is a General Partner with Global Asset Capital, a venture capital firm with which he has been associated since March 2002, and has a long history advising and investing in Silicon Valley startups.
Mr. Shivji has a BS degree from University of British Columbia.
Jehan Velji, Member
Ms. Jehan Velji joins the National Committee, bringing extensive experience in non-profit management, organizational issues, board development and financial issues. Currently a Manager in Bridgespan’s San Francisco office, Ms. Velji previously held positions at Mercer Management Consulting and Catholic Relief Services. Ms. Velji has also served on the Board of Directors of FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance and worked with several nonprofits in the Washington, DC, Boston and San Francisco areas. She holds a bachelor’s in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University, a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and an Master's of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
The National Committee is governed by the Board of Directors.
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